238 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
hermaphrodite specimen of the common blue (Polyommatus 
Alexis), the left wings being female, while the right ones are 
male; this is equally apparent on both sides. Can you tell 
me if this is a rare occurrence? The specimen was taken in 
a grassy lane in Horley, on the Ist of September, and is now 
in the cabinet of Mr. Murray Aston, of Hatchgate, Horley. 
This gentleman has taken nearly thirty specimens of the 
feathered gothic moth (Heliophobus popularis) at a lamp in 
his hall. Can you inform me of the food-plant of this species 
in its larval state? If I am not asking too much, will you tell 
me how to make dragonflies keep their colour after death, and 
where I can procure a work on this order of insects? I may 
add that Mr. Aston took all his Popularis during the last 
week in August. 
[(1) Hemigynous, or half-female, specimens of Lycena 
Icarus (Alexis), are by no means uncommon, (2) The larva 
of Heliophobus popularis feeds on grasses. I have said all I 
know about this insect at p. 291 of ‘ British Moths, where the 
larva is described. (3) In order to preserve the colour in the 
bodies of dragonflies, do not kill them until three or four 
days after they are taken, when the body will be empty. 
Having killed them with cyanide of potassium, slit the 
abdomen open with a pair of small scissors, take out the 
contents, and fill up the cavity with a piece of writing-paper, 
rolled up in the same form as the body.—#. Newman, | 
Henry N. Ridley.—Cidemera cerulea.—H. Newman. 
H. Sturmer.—! am unable to give an opinion as to the 
name of the larva described.—E. Newman. 
_G. A. Smallwood.— Variety of Cirraedia xerampelina.—I 
have this year bred a dark variety of this moth. The colour 
of the dark central bar is spread over the whole wing, the 
usual yellow being entirely absent, except on the edges of the 
central bar, where it forms two conspicuous yellow lines, 
reaching from the inner margin quite up to the costa. This 
variety is very distinct and striking ; the more so as this insect 
is so little liable to variation. 
[I was formerly inclined to consider this a distinct species ; 
but seeing that Guenée (‘ Noctuelites,’ i. 402) considers it a 
variety only,—a judgment in which my late friend Doubleday 
entirely concurred,—I cannot presume to differ from such 
authorities.—Edward Newman.) 
